Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has placed the blame for the team's uninspiring goalless draw against Fulham on Saturday squarely on the shoulders of his forwards. Iraola stated that the team took "a step backwards" and insisted that the attacking players need to contribute more to make his system effective.
While central midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai struggled in duels, Iraola believes the core issue lies further up the pitch with the pressing of Liverpool's attack. He emphasised that collective effort, particularly from the front, is crucial for the entire team's performance.
Iraola indicated that he is unlikely to field the same frontline of Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, and Víctor Muñoz for the Carabao Cup third-round match against Tottenham on Tuesday. Georgi Mamardashvili is confirmed to replace Alisson in goal, and Trey Nyoni is pushing for a start in midfield.
The coach highlighted that in the Fulham game, Liverpool recovered the ball much lower on the pitch compared to previous matches. This made attacking more difficult as they faced 11 defenders, unlike in earlier games where winning the ball higher allowed for quicker transitions against fewer players.